Empowering self-management: exploring self-care practices in heart failure patients

Abstract

Purpose: Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome in which ventricular filling and beating functions are impaired. HF also causes psychosocial and economic problems and is a significant public health problem affecting the quality of life. Effective self-care is a non-pharmacological method that contributes to treatment, improves the patient's quality of life, and reduces repeated hospitalizations and economic burdens. Our study aimed to evaluate self-care in heart failure patients and to determine the factors affecting self-care. Materials and methods: A total of 100 patients with heart failure, including 36 women and 64 men, were included in the study. Data were collected by using the Descriptive Information Form and the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Scale in one-on-one interviews with patients under appropriate physical conditions. Results: Our findings indicate that a range of factors, including age, hypertension, educational status, the total number of comorbid diseases, and the use of certain medications such as SGLT-2 inhibitors, differently impact self-care behaviors. Self-care behaviors were found to be adequate in the study population. Conclusion: We identified essential factors that affect self-care in heart failure patients. We have identified critical factors such as age, educational status, hypertension, comorbidity, and particularly the use of SGLT2 inhibitors, as key influencers of self-care practices. For this reason patient-centered healthcare models should be developed and considered by medical practitioners.